Clash of the Titans

Mark Daniels

This comparison road test should have been done in 1960. Now,
40 years too late, it's Raleigh RM2 v Phillips Panda MkI in "Clash of
the Titans"

These two British built mopeds were selected for
comparison test since both date around 1960, feature single speed
gearing with a manual clutch and have no suspension, beyond the general
specification however is where the similarities end.

The RM2 is basically a tall and elegant heavy gauge lady's cycle
converted to a moped by the attachment of a factory-fitted Sturmey
Archer clip-on motor built for this Raleigh application by BSA.
By contrast, the Phillips utilised what probably became the last
manufacturing installation of the German Rex cyclemotor which first
appeared around 1950 in the form of a front mounted belt driven cycle
attachment, the strong but crude Panda frame being specifically built
to house the motor. Remarkably the two engines are worlds apart
with the 6.2:1 compression & 1.3bhp Sturmey Archer being of
overhung crank design with the cast iron barrel and deep porting
arrangement laid out across the motor with old fashioned exhaust
exiting on the right and carb to the left. The diminutive 9mm
Amal 385 mounted to the Sturmey Archer would, on the face of it, appear
to disadvantage the Raleigh, however specifications can be
deceiving! The Rex engine at 6:1 compression has no bhp given but
carries a 12mm Bing carb to the aluminium barrel with sleeve liner in
conventional fore & aft porting layout. The crankcase cavity
unusually extends all the way to the back of the motor to include
lubrication of the reduction gear and its bearings by the induction
gases! This results in a much reduced scavenge pressure,
especially when compared to the Raleigh's arrangement. Mounted on
the end of the output shaft with the sprocket inboard, the tiny
2½" Rex dry clutch is a particularly frail pull-operated
instrument and typically responsible for the final demise of most
machines. The Raleigh clutch unusually is not on the engine, but
comprises a substantial 4½" diameter device built into the
reduction belt driven flywheel which is mounted on the pedal shaft and
resulting in no controllable slip action. It's in or out but
there is simply no between! The Raleigh's clutch operation has a
'flip-catch' on the lever to hold neutral and conventional lever/drum
operated brakes, but this means two levers on the left bar that just
can't be operated at the same time. To compensate this the front
brake is also linked to the back with a second cable from the lever, so
applying both brakes simultaneously with one hand, unfortunately this
halves the applicable pressure when using the 'front' lever
alone. Braking therefore requires a special technique of using
both levers up to the last second for maximum effort before having to
release the left (back only) lever and engaging the clutch to keep the
engine going on the throttle. Since no idle screw is fitted to
the carb the motor just can't be adjusted to tick-over. The Panda
has a 'grip-lock' clutch lever and a carb set-up that will allow the
motor to tick-over for ever, while unfortunately the rear brake
comprises a back pedal Perry Coaster hub. Marvellous for a
bicycle, but with the weight and speed of a moped - utterly
useless!

With the technical formalities sorted out, it's off for a
ride! The Raleigh is a typically traditional cycle, tall, upright
and very 'English'; it seems to have high gearing and cannot be slipped
away on the clutch so requires a pedal assisted take-off. Once
away it performs much better than its 1.3bhp would suggest and delivers
a smart turn of speed under conditions suiting its tall drive ratio,
while still strong enough to steadily climb average gradients at low
revs without much need for LPA. The gearing price has to be paid
somewhere though, and most other mopeds will take the advantage on the
incline or particularly into a head wind where the upright stance
restricts the ability of the rider to crouch. Under favourable
conditions the Raleigh will really buzz up to 35+ mph and is very
capable of leaving many other comparable mopeds and autocycles with
this turn of speed. Such use however seems to come at a cost as
the motor often becomes quirky and temperamental by quickly falling off
fine tune, so requiring fanatical attention to the ignition and carb to
maintain peak performance. The Phillips Panda also features a
very upright riding position but immediately feels a much smaller bike
with its 23" wheels, and seeming very much below you.

First impression is how much more torque the Rex motor delivers as
the machine will pull cleanly away by slipping the clutch without pedal
assistance, though this practice is strongly not recommended since it
certainly contributes to rapid failure of the mechanism. From
hereon though, the encouraging take-off evaporates into a thoroughly
soggy performance with lots of four-stroking except under load, and a
top speed that may only momentarily glimpse 30mph. The Rex is however
stoically consistent and reliable, and never displays the Sturmey
Archer's temperamental behaviour, though the Raleigh creams it on the
road! The Raleigh RM2 comes over as tall, upright, and
classically elegant. Light and a bit of a boneshaker, it will
give the rider a hard time on rough roads and its performance to
braking arrangement requires a 'thinking ahead' riding style in modern
traffic. Its temperamental nature can make it irritating as a
transport mount but when working well under suitable conditions makes a
cracking and unusual mount for rallying. Despite its primitive
and ugly frame, the Phillips Panda looks quite pleasant once the fitted
panels have covered this up, while the overwhelming impression is a
'quaint novelty'. Always an easy starter under all conditions a
reliable and consistent runner, though you do need time on your side to
enjoy the docile character of the machine. You can always
entertain yourself by constantly playing with the throttle to alternate
the four-stroking with the loud induction drone as you make steady but
slow progress. Despite the unspectacular performance, the dismal
rear brake is still occasionally capable of injecting some stimulating
moments of excitement. The sturdy cycle frame seems to plough
through road bumps slightly better than the Raleigh and gives a
somewhat easier ride. The Panda may make a sound selection as a
transport mount but its performance is just deadly dull, the Rex made a
great cyclemotor 10 years earlier but simply became eclipsed by the
'moped age'. Road tests can afford to be more frank on obsolete
machines since they need necessitate no consideration of further
manufacturers supply of future test models, so the NACC reader may go
on to select his machine with objective knowledge. Riders have
different criteria and both these machines have charm in their own
right; if you still can't make a choice, then like the author, buy
both! Ours is a relatively inexpensive hobby.